Chapter 333

Chapter 333. The Mage Tower Master’s Request (5)

“What ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍contract are you talking about?”

Armandy ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍spoke through clenched teeth.

Just ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍moments ago, he had almost been swept up by emotion—but now, not a chance.

“You ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍remember borrowing you until I graduate from the Academy, right?”

Radel ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍replied casually, shrugging his shoulders.

That ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍very nonchalance pushed what little restraint Armandy had left to the brink.

From between his trembling lips, a barely suppressed voice escaped.

“I… am no longer affiliated with the Ability Management Bureau.”

To utter that single sentence, how much had Armandy had to abandon?

On the night he decided to return to the Mage Tower, he lay awake until dawn.

The Ability Management Bureau, his new refuge.

The colleagues who had buried each other’s pasts.

And the face of Director Ivan, who had trusted him.

Throwing all of that away and returning to the Mage Tower felt like cutting off a part of himself.

In the worst case, he could lose his life.

In truth, that possibility was frighteningly high.

Even now, recalling the murderous intent in Senior Aaron’s red eyes sent a chill down his spine.

He could not return to such a dangerous place while still carrying the label of the Ability Management Bureau.

If his identity as a bureau agent were exposed within the Mage Tower, the Empire’s most secret organization might be dragged into a conflict with the tower itself.

He could not cause that kind of trouble.

That was why, before leaving, he had left behind only a single, very short letter for Director Ivan.

“Thank you for everything.”

No further explanation was needed. That was the last loyalty he could offer the bureau.

After settling everything, he had returned here.

‘This is my personal matter. It has nothing to do with the Ability Management Bureau.’

Facing Armandy’s resolute expression, Radel replied as if he did not understand the problem at all.

“You are still affiliated with the Ability Management Bureau.”

“…What?”

How could he possibly know that?

Confusion surfaced on Armandy’s face.

In response, Radel reached into his clothes and took out an object that was painfully familiar.

A small notebook with a leather cover, faintly embossed with the emblem of the Ability Management Bureau.

The very cursed item that had sent his elite life plummeting into the abyss—and given Radel leverage over him.

“I have been trying to find you with this ever since I entered the Mage Tower.”

Radel was telling the truth.

After infiltrating as a novice laborer, whenever he was given brief moments of rest between grueling work, he would secretly open the notebook, careful to avoid the eyes of others.

By opening the last page of the notebook and speaking the activation phrase, the positions of Ability Management Bureau agents within a certain radius would appear as dots on a map.

But no matter how many days passed, the map in the notebook showed no change at all.

‘So he really did quit the bureau.’

At the time, that had been Radel’s assumption.

That the magical tool was not responding because Armandy had truly left the Ability Management Bureau.

However, the map he checked immediately after meeting Armandy told a completely different story.

“Look.”

Radel opened the back of the notebook wide and held it out before Armandy’s eyes.

On the faintly glowing map, a single, vivid red dot blinked at the center.

It marked Armandy’s location.

“If you had really left the bureau, should you even be showing up here?”

There was only one reason the notebook had not worked before.

The lowest floor and the highest floor of the Mage Tower.

The distance between the two had far exceeded the detection range of the magical tool.

‘The Director does not look like the kind of man who would give up talent so easily.’

Radel pictured Director Ivan in his mind.

That cold, pragmatic man would never abandon someone like Armandy without a fight.

Most likely, Armandy’s resignation letter was quietly waiting for approval somewhere in Ivan’s office.

Through running the Dice Shop and managing the Raviedel territory, Radel had learned the hard way that the most important thing in any organization was talent.

And if that was true for him, it was doubly so for the Empire’s secret intelligence agency.

The red dot, clearly marked in the notebook.

It was proof that Armandy was still an agent of the Ability Management Bureau.

Armandy’s expression twisted into something complex.

He pressed his lips shut, unable to say a word.

Then Radel asked,

“But Armandy, why were you hiding on the topmost floor?”

Right beneath the nose of someone who was trying to kill him.

There had to be a reason Armandy was risking his life to remain there.

At that question, the emotions Armandy had been desperately suppressing rose to the surface.

His voice sank low.

“…I was looking for my master.”

It had been more than a week since he returned to the Mage Tower.

Every night, he wandered through the shadows, searching for traces of his master, Helio Valerian.

But his master was nowhere to be found.

As if he had never existed to begin with, every trace of him had been erased from the Mage Tower.

“He is unwell… and at his age, he cannot move easily. I do not know where he could be…”

Desperation seeped into Armandy’s voice.

The Mage Tower Master’s room—the only place his master had ever truly used.

He had attempted to infiltrate it countless times, hoping to find even a single clue, but the barriers laid by Senior Aaron were unimaginably strong and vicious.

Touching them carelessly would immediately trigger an alert.

Approaching the other mages of the tower was even more dangerous.

He had no way of knowing who stood on Aaron’s side and who still followed his master.

Even the senior brother he had trusted most was now trying to take his life.

Armandy was isolated.

He could not be certain whom to trust, or how to act.

The only person he could truly believe in within this hellish Mage Tower was one.

His master.

‘Armandy. Leave the Mage Tower.’

The last image of his master—painful, yet tender—as he looked at him.

That memory remained vividly etched in Armandy’s mind.

‘I will stay here and stop your senior brother.’

Thinking of the feelings that had forced his master to send him away made Armandy’s chest ache as if it were being torn apart.

He had to find him.

And this time, he had to be the one to protect his master.

A firm resolve settled into his eyes.

“And I must also find the item my master left behind. Without it…”

Armandy continued.

He was certain of it.

That item his master had been researching right up until he collapsed from illness.

If he could obtain it, he would find the key to overturning this entire situation.

But before he could finish his sentence, Radel casually slipped a hand into his clothes.

Then, as if showing off a pebble he had picked up off the road, he opened his palm.

“This?”

Resting on his hand was a silver pendant, exquisitely crafted.

At its center was set a clear, transparent moonstone.

Catching the dim light of the storeroom, it emitted a mysterious, gentle blue glow.

The moment Armandy saw it, his thoughts came to a complete halt.

“H-how is that in Your Highness’s hands…?”

His voice wavered helplessly.

Ever since meeting Radel in the Mage Tower, shock after shock had followed—but none compared to this.

“I was asked to find it too.”

Radel replied calmly as he placed the pendant into Armandy’s hand.

He had visited Aaron’s room long ago.

***

When Radel first set foot in Aaron Daryu’s room, the first thing that overwhelmed him was the unreal landscape spread out beyond the window.

A hellscape where red lava churned like a river and black volcanic ash drifted down like snow.

“So this is the acting Mage Tower Master’s room.”

As Radel murmured quietly, the Spirit of the Library grumbled.

-Hmph. It suits the tower’s real power well enough. This will be a fine opportunity for you to observe proper illusion magic. Look outside.

Radel approached the window.

An overwhelming sight unfolded before his eyes.

“It really feels like the heart of a volcanic region. Remarkable.”

The texture of the writhing lava, the scorching heat brushing against his skin, even the stench of sulfur.

It was an exquisitely crafted spell that deceived every sense.

-That is not all. The fool even turned his emotions into scenery.

The Spirit of the Library spoke with contempt thick in his voice.

-This is what his heart looks like right now. He is practically announcing his mental state to the world. Perhaps to show it to his master—who knows.

Boom!

Almost as soon as the spirit finished speaking, one of the lava pillars outside the window erupted violently.

‘I should find it quickly and leave.’

Radel swept his gaze through the room.

The elder had said the pendant would be kept in “the place where Aaron stores what he treasures most.”

Without hesitation, Radel headed for the massive bookshelf that filled one wall of the room.

“He said it should be here…”

He ran his fingers along the spines of the books, searching for an object matching the features the elder had described.

But finding a clue among hundreds of volumes was no easy task.

Then his gaze stopped near the bottom of the bookshelf, in a dusty corner.

A small frame lay overturned on the floor.

“There it is.”

Radel picked up the frame and turned it over.

The picture depicted three people.

Aaron Daryu, far younger than now, his smile still unstrained.

A young Armandy beside him, smiling shyly.

And with his arms around their shoulders, wearing a gentle smile, the dignified Mage Tower Master Helio Valerian—back when he still possessed his magic power.

-The old man used to be quite hale.

The Spirit of the Library was right.

Even to Radel’s eyes, the elder looked like a powerful archmage.

He was completely different from the man tending crops in a vegetable garden now.

In the picture, Aaron and Armandy did not appear to be on bad terms.

They seemed slightly awkward, but otherwise like an ordinary senior and junior disciple.

It was a harmonious image no one could have imagined would end like this.

Radel studied the frame for a moment, then, as the elder had instructed, slid his finger into a small groove on the back and turned it.

Click.

The back opened, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside, resting carefully on soft velvet, was a silver pendant.

As Radel held it, the last conversation he had shared with the elder resurfaced in his mind.

‘Is it not possible that the first disciple already obtained that item?’

At his question, the old man had looked up at the sky and answered bitterly,

‘Once, I hoped for that as well. I wished he would find it instead…’

Radel quietly tucked the pendant into his clothes.

At last, he felt he understood the meaning behind the elder’s words.